Holiday Productivity: Tis the Season to Knock Out that To-Do List!

We are quickly entering the best time of the year — the holiday season. It’s when we all take much-needed breaks from the everyday grind and spend quality time with our family and friends while enjoying great food and thoughtful gifts. But in order to get there we have to survive the mad year-end rush of goals and deadlines to meet first. This leaves us in a situation where we have to simultaneously hit our quotas, book our travel, wrap up projects, wrap up presents, and make sure everything stays up and running while we’re away. This can be challenging for anyone, so here are a few strategies that will help you overcome the hump and be successful at managing your holiday season productivity.

Map Out a Clear Path for Success

The first thing you should do is sit down and map out your success. Make two lists compiling everything you need to get accomplished at work and at home so you can ensure you’re tracking every task. It’s important to have two separate lists so the two do not blend into each other. The goal is to be able to knock out your responsibilities strategically so that you don’t find yourself holiday shopping on your lunch break while trying to put the finishing touches on an important report due at 2pm.
You’ll find that looking at your to-do list might be a little daunting, but that’s why you’re starting early so there is ample time to complete all of the tasks. The key to avoid becoming overwhelmed is keeping the lists separate so you can chip away at your projects strategically based on priority and timetables.

Take Advantage of the Changing Environment

With the holiday season comes vacations and the added time off. This can sometimes leave the office resembling a ghost town. But just because the office is empty or has particularly low energy doesn’t mean you can’t get things done. In fact, this could be a great opportunity to get even more done with some of the typical office distractions removed.
A good way to incorporate this mentality is to approach the quarter on a day-to-day basis. Otherwise, it’s easy for us to get wrapped up in the rush around the season, which can have a negative impact on our productivity. It’s better to approach each day one at a time and focus on your plan. That will allow you to enjoy the holidays without the added pressure of any deadlines that you’ve missed or work that’s left incomplete.
Let’s finish the season strong and ring in the New Year ahead of the curve with a strong feeling of accomplishment